Gucci Fall Winter 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection

The house of Gucci is one of those rare high-end luxe brands whose menswear far, far outdoes its womenswear season in, season out – at least that has been the case under the direction of Frida Giannini. Its menswear provokes drooling – for the past few seasons the womenswear has done anything but. Although, you’d never know it considering that Gucci’s much celebrated Fall ’11 collection (which I wasn’t a fan of, in the slightest) graced an approximate 103 covers worldwide last year.

But there’s good news for Giannini and crew. Her latest ready-to-wear is an outstanding triumph. This was an almost all-black, lugubrious affair that molds all of Giannini’s capital R Romantic flourishes into something more akin to danger. What transpired was equal parts Rimbaud (for a case in point, please refer to look #2 on Anja Rubik – a black on black flower brocade suit with matching overcoat) and sorceress (watch Homer’s Circe come to life in that decadent oil-slicked black feather ensemble on Daria Strokous or the palpable sexuality of Sigrid Agren’s sheer jet-beaded gown).

It was an incredible amalgam: The precision and elegance of Gucci dancing face to face by candelabra with the poetry exorcised by the ilk of Ann Demeulemeester. The dark muses should take over Giannini more often. This may not grace as many covers as its Fall predecessor, but it sure as hell helped to restore the faith.